Further data emerged last week confirming the recovery in the housing market – and balmy weather is helping, especially where homes have attractive gardens, say estate agents.
According to Halifax’s latest property snapshot, national house prices were almost three per cent higher in the first quarter of this year than in 2012, the greatest increase in three years.
Making the best of a garden can add tens of thousands of pounds to even modest properties, estate agents say, but they also warn that owners often make ‘disastrous’ mistakes.
Fun: Student Lydia Wood enjoys the family jet poolGardens are being increasingly viewed as ‘living rooms’ – and marketed as such by vendors seeking to extract the maximum value for the property.
Mark Haywood, president of the National Association of Estate Agents, says: ‘Potential buyers want to imagine themselves relaxing in the garden. It sounds a cliche, but it is an extra room.
‘This matters now – in this mild spell of early summer – more than ever.’
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The Wood family, of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, enjoy the benefits of a jet pool they installed in their large garden two years ago at a cost of £10,000. William Wood, 57, a lawyer, his wife Tonya, also 57, and their children, Richard, 23, and Lydia, 21 all make use of it.
Lydia, a student, says: ‘The pool was not bought as an investment but as a great way to get fit and relax. The water jets allow you to swim against a current.’
Estate agents say pools like this are an ideal way to add value to properties.
Estate agent Philip Mount says: ‘They can enhance a garden, without frightening people away with the thought of hefty maintenance costs.’
He reckons that by spending a few thousand pounds on a feature such as a patio with barbecue or hot tub, homeowners can add £10,000 to a home’s value.
In contrast, a loft extension might cost £25,000 with homeowners typically getting back only what was spent. Maintenance is also crucial, especially when growth is vigorous.
Haywood points out that basic pruning – cutting back overgrown foliage and getting rid of ‘cold and dark’ evergreens such as leylandii – can bring a sense of space and freedom. However, he warns that taste is important, and that means simple and contemporary is best.
A water feature offering a modern cascading fountain is preferable to an old fashioned pond surrounded by garden gnomes and ornamental wheelbarrows.
Philip Mount is branch manager of Churchill Estates in South Woodford, Essex, one of the peripheral areas of London where house prices are growing strongly and demand is high.
He says: ‘A large patio area with a few comfortable chairs and a table and barbecue can do wonders for the appeal of a property, you don’t need to spend a fortune.
‘The secret is to get potential homeowners to imagine themselves enjoying the extra room. Big investments such as swimming pools may put people off because of maintenance costs.’
One of the most cost-effective ways of adding to a garden’s appeal and value is to instal increasingly popular hot tubs or mini pools. An astonishing one in ten houses now boasts one of these in their garden, according to the Lloyds TSB Insurance. In high-end properties they are increasingly regarded as ‘essentials’.
THREE SIMPLER WAYS TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN LOOK GREATRemove perennial weeds, especially really nasty ones such as ground elder or Japanese knotweed. Tidiness creates the impression of a garden that can be easily maintained. Paving, gravel and potted plants are ideal for those seeking low maintenance. Large areas of lawn can be offputting.Garden furniture, barbecues, water features and hot tubs introduce a sense of relaxation for an additional living area. Patio or folding doors are also worth considering – at least obtain quotes and seek an estate agent’s opinion as they are features that can generate returns in excess of their cost.Make the most of the garden’s layout and features, such as sunny south-facing corners and kitchen garden plots. Walled gardens are also fashionable, adding to the sense of seclusion and having an extra room. Parking spaces and storage sheds are absolute musts wherever possible.